DOLE: Workers press for freedom of association
WORKERS SECTOR representatives are pushing for the government to secure their civil liberties, especially their freedom of association, the Labor department revealed on Sunday.
In a statement, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it held a strategic planning workshop with its stakeholders on Sept. 4 in Manila to set goals for a labor roadmap it had presented to the Cabinet last month.
“Strengthening the capacities of government and social partners through labor governance education, specifically in the areas of freedom of association (FoA) and civil liberties, is also among the strategies to ensure a labor and employment sector that respects fundamental principles and rights at work, international labor standards, and human rights,” the DoLE said.
The agency said the results of the consultations would form the foundation of the labor and employment plan’s implementation for the next five years.
At a Senate hearing on DoLE’s proposed budget for 2024 on Sept. 1, Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said workers and employers would have oversight of its jobs plan to improve the employability of the country’s workforce.
The employment plan aims to upgrade worker skills, raise the quality of teachers, and modernize training institutions, Mr. Laguesma told an employer conference last month. It also details a comprehensive social protection program for workers.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in his second address to Congress urged government agencies to continue improving the employability of the workforce.
“The responsibility for [Labor and Employment Plan 2023-2028s] implementation, monitoring, and evaluation is not the DoLE’s and/or the government’s responsibility alone but is collectively shared with the private sector, with all,” Labor Undersecretary Carmela I. Torres said in the same statement.
Mr. Marcos on April 30 signed an executive order creating an inter-agency body that will investigate labor rights violations targeting trade unionists.
Labor groups have called on the government to amend the order creating the task force, noting the measure lacked participation from workers. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
